http://marketingsource.com/articles/ Articles at marketingsource.com Articles Library en-us http://marketingsource.com/articles/book-promotions/business/business-nuggets/are-you-ready-to-meet-the-ceo.html http://marketingsource.com/articles/book-promotions/business/business-nuggets/are-you-ready-to-meet-the-ceo.html Fri, 01 Apr 2011 07:48:27 -0500
In particular, you have gotten to know the two gatekeepers who have been up to now blocking your way to the CEO. Last week your call to the administrative assistant finally hit home and you're on the CEO's calendar in three weeks. Now is the time to get ready. The degree to which you prepare will directly impact the success of your meeting.

Below are 6 key things you need to do before your meeting:

1. Set up Google Alerts to receive any updates that may appear on the internet for the company, the person you're going to meet and the other top people in the company with whom the CEO interacts.

2. If the company is publically traded, read their annual reports and their quarterly filings, and listen to the recordings of their quarterly investor calls.

3. Benchmark the company with their major competitors to determine how they compare.

4. Identify the strategic objectives on which the company is working. In particular, learn all you can about the key initiatives with which you have reason to believe the CEO is most concerned.

5. Monitor the news to determine if there are any political or newsworthy events that could impact either the CEO or the company.

6. Monitor the trade journals and industry websites that pertain to the company's industry.

7. Know the educational background of the CEO and identify any key alumni and school events with which the CEO may be connected.

Use the information you obtain from the activities listed above to help you develop a list of "peer comment/questions" you can share with the gatekeeper or CEO if the opportunity arises.

"Peer comments/questions" are those things you can share briefly with the CEO or gatekeeper that allow them to see that you are aware of the environment in which they operate - and that you are comfortable talking about those things.

By positioning your peer comment as a question, you not only have the ability to share something with them, but you also will engage them in conversation. Making a peer comment/question part of your opening dialogue with the CEO will reassure the CEO that they are not wasting their time with someone who does not understand how valuable the CEO's time is. It also demonstrates that you comprehend their level of decision-making responsibility.

Remember - your peer comment/question is not the opportunity for you to share your 5,000 word opinion on a topic. Your comment/question should be brief and framed as an opening to get the CEO to share their opinion.

It is not necessary for the peer question/comment to relate directly to your meeting topic. In fact, is better if it is on a completely different topic. You will show the CEO that you do not have tunnel vision and you have a broader understanding of the world in which they operate.

If you're wondering why I use the term "peer," it is because the topic you're bringing up is designed to be a topic the CEO may very well be discussing with their peers. This allows the CEO to naturally begin to see you as one of their peers, thus increasing their comfort in sharing information with you.

Earlier in this article, I mentioned that you shouldn't hesitate to share your peer comments/questions with the gatekeeper as well. The gatekeeper is really an extension of the CEO. When you make relevant comments or pose "peer" questions, you increase the gatekeeper's comfort level. If the gatekeeper feels comfortable with you, this contributes to the CEO feeling comfortable.

If you have managed to land that all-important meeting with a CEO, don't delay in your preparation. Invest the effort and time now so you can experience the valuable dividends later.

]]> http://marketingsource.com/articles/selling/art-of-selling/the-best-information-comes-from-short-questions.html http://marketingsource.com/articles/selling/art-of-selling/the-best-information-comes-from-short-questions.html Fri, 01 Apr 2011 07:45:52 -0500 know we can help, if they would just provide us information about their needs and goals.

The problem is that no matter what question we ask, we get the same response: a big fat "I don't know" (or something along that line). Then, almost without thinking, we put on our super salesperson cape and start telling the person everything they need. Unfortunately, when it comes to agreeing to the sale, the person turns cold.

Our problem in dealing with this type of customer is we need to find a better way to engage them and to get them to think about what they want and need – and then share that information with us.

The answer to this dilemma? Short questions. I believe that short questions get you long answers (while long questions get you short answers). What too often happens is we are talking to a customer and asking them what we believe are simple questions, but in reality, those questions are simple only to us. To someone unfamiliar with our product and services, the questions are complex.

For example, we ask a question that has a couple of facts wrapped up in it. As a result, it winds up being more of a statement for which we are simply looking for feedback or agreement. No wonder customers can give us the cold shoulder and the blank stare.

What we want to do is ask short questions. In their simplest form, they are questions like "why" and "how." Or possibly they look like this: Could you give me an example? Could you explain that again to me?

The shorter the question, the more likely we are to get a long answer. The next step is to ask them another short question, following up on what they just said. The beauty about this is it allows the customer to do all the talking. By doing the talking, they'll tell you their needs and desired benefits. They'll tell you their goals and will reveal a level of information you need to determine how to best serve them.

When using the short question approach, there are only two things you need to remember. First, ask the customer a soft easy question to which you know they'll respond. Then after they have given you a response, continue with the short questioning approach by asking, "Could you give me another example?" You then pause and allow the client to give you more information, upon which you follow up again with another short question such as, "How?" or "Why?" Basically, you want to do whatever you can to get them talking more.

The second rule to remember is to not keep asking the same short questions. If you do, you'll come across as an inquisitive 3-year-old rather than the professional salesperson you know you are. You can avoid this best by picking up on a single item they shared with you and drilling down on just that one item.

When you drill down on a single item, you demonstrate your listening skills and your ability to truly discern information. The beauty of this approach is when it works, the customer will many times share with you exactly what they want and will begin asking you questions about features and benefits.

Short questions get you long answers. Long questions get you short answers. It is up to you as to the approach you want to take, but if you want to actually learn something about the customer's needs, you will get there quicker by asking short questions.

]]> http://marketingsource.com/articles/selling/sales-prospecting/your-customers-pir-price-investment-ratio.html http://marketingsource.com/articles/selling/sales-prospecting/your-customers-pir-price-investment-ratio.html Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:35:39 -0600 perceived benefit? Too often, we use a simplistic approach to determining a price – figure the cost to produce a product or service, tack on some arbitrary percentage, and call it good, right?

Price, though, is consequential in ways we may not initially consider. The price a person pays for something goes a long way in determining the perceived benefit they expect to get from it. The perceived benefit cuts two ways. First, the expectation of service goes up the more a person pays for something. Second, the perception of what they're gaining also goes up with the amount they pay. The two are not opposites; they work in tandem and in nearly all businesses, this tandem relationship can and does work to your advantage.

Many companies, hopefully including yours, are known for delivering incredible service. This quality service may be what your customers comment upon and why they are willing to refer you to other customers. This level of service comes at a price. One of the things you always should be doing is explaining to and showing your customers how your level of service helps them.

The more you share this type of information with your customers, the more comfortable you become in seeing the value of what you offer. Having confidence in your service allows you to increase your "Price Investment Ratio" (PIR). This all has to do with what you expect customers to pay.

For the customer, the PIR is revealed when you help frame their expectations. To help explain this best, let me refer to what I call the "IBM paradox." This is the belief people have that although you will pay more for anything you buy from IBM, you will never be fired for using IBM. What this means is there are plenty of companies that sell the exact same items and services as IBM, but at a less expensive price. Although other vendors will be less money, there is a level of safety and confidence in using IBM – so much so that it translates to a premium price that customers will pay.

The "Price Investment Ratio" (PIR) is the amount over the minimum amount a person would have to pay for something. They are willing to pay it to feel confident in what they are buying. You might say the PIR should really be the CP – the "Confidence Premium."

There are no two ways about it – when you have great service but do not reflect it in your PIR, then you are underselling. If you are underselling, you are not making the profits you could be making.

I can hear some of you at this point thinking, "What if we don't have a solid sense of how good our customer service really is?" In other words, maybe your company receives very few complaints, but at the same time, you are not sure if your service is at a higher caliber than what your competitors bring to the table.

In order to find out your "Price Investment Ratio" (PIR), you must do a deep dive with your existing customers to get them to tell you what your service means to them. Once you do this, you can then match up what existing customers are telling you with what prospective customers are asking you to do. When you grasp this, you begin to understand what the PIR really should be. How much "investment" is the customer willing to make in going with you instead of your competitor?

As I have often said, in the B2B arena, companies don't buy anything, they only invest. If your customer can't see the return on investment, they won't invest – they won't pay the price you want to get. When they do see the value, though, then you can feel very confident in charging a price above what your competitors charge. Don't settle for a lower price when doing so is detrimental to your bottom line.

]]> http://marketingsource.com/articles/selling/sales-prospecting/are-you-giving-away-your-profit.html http://marketingsource.com/articles/selling/sales-prospecting/are-you-giving-away-your-profit.html Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:34:23 -0600
Salesperson: "We have to cut our price to get the first order. Then, once they see what we can do for them, we will be able to raise our prices. I'm sure once they see how good our service is, I'll be able to convince them to pay the regular price."

Hmmm. Really? I'll let you fill in how you feel the sales manager should respond. The sad comment is that too many times, the sales manager – after sounding tough on the telephone for 30 seconds – then gives way to the idea of lowering the price by saying something like, "Well, just this time, but we certainly can't go making this part of our sales tactics with other customers. The only reason I'll say 'yes' this time is because of how much business is at stake."

I can't tell you the number of times I have heard this rationalization. Sadly, what blows me away is the number of times I have heard it when somebody is trying to land a new customer – but then I never hear from these same people a year or two later expressing what the long-term results have been. Why do salespeople or sales managers never share with me the long-term outcome of such "price reduction" strategy? Because it never works out the way the salesperson or the sales manager initially believes it will.

Let's look at this from the customer's perspective. If you bought something at one price, don't you think you would be able to buy it again at the same price? Sure you would. So why do you as a salesperson think that increasing the price after the initial sale is going to go smoothly?

Cutting your price to secure the initial deal only does one thing - it takes profit out of your pocket.

Many of you are thinking that this is all right, because all that is being lost is some profit on the initial sale. My experience is you're giving up profit not only on the initial sale, but also on any future sales to come.

The reason is simple (so simple, in fact, that I can't believe so many salespeople still think slashing price on the initial sale is a viable option). The first price the customer gets is what they believe is the right price with the right value. If the price is higher, they believe it to be unfair.

Sales motivation takes an even greater dive when the customer is ready for the next purchase, and the salesperson begins to wander down a dangerous path. The salesperson justifies in their own mind why increasing the price is just "not the right thing to do" and will "jeopardize the long-term value of the customer." In the blink of an eye, with that one thought, the salesperson has committed themselves to lower profit on a going-forward basis (maybe even indefinitely. Yikes!).

As tempting as it might be to cut your price to gain a new customer, don't do it!

If you can't land the customer at the profit margin your business plan is built upon, then that particular customer is not worth having. Think I'm crazy? Run the numbers over the long-term and you will see what I mean.

To avoid being in the situation where you feel desperate to get a sale "at all costs," here are some strategies to put in place:

First, maintain a strong pipeline of prospective customers. Discounting is far more prevalent when a salesperson believes the sale on which they are currently working is the only sale they are going to get.

Second, never attempt to close a sale until the customer has identified to you the specific objectives and you've had the opportunity to explore the needs they have. When the customer understands the benefits you're helping them with and the gains they're going to get from those benefits, then you're in a much better position to close the sale by not having to discount your price.

Too many times, the salesperson gets taken down the price discount road only because they have not taken the time upfront to get the customer to fully explain the benefits they're looking for. As tempting as it can be to close a sale quickly, the pressure of the price discount is many times what emerges when you attempt to close too early. Allow the customer to verbally describe the benefits for which they are looking. This gives you time to expand on them and, in turn, help the customer see the full value of what it is you're offering them.

Protect your profit. Protect your sales motivation. Both are too valuable to toss aside, all in the name of making a sale.

]]> http://marketingsource.com/articles/networking-for-success/turn-socializing-into-networking.html http://marketingsource.com/articles/networking-for-success/turn-socializing-into-networking.html Mon, 20 Dec 2010 06:34:20 -0600
It's critically important to participate in the public arena and interact with the people who could become your clients, provide you with valuable information or help you further your causes and beliefs.

While they understand the importance of networking, many professionals do a lousy job of it. It's easy to show up at an event, grab a drink, eat some free hors d'oeuvres, say "hi" to a couple people, then go home and pat yourself on the back for being involved in the community.

Unfortunately, that's not networking. It's merely socializing.

There's nothing wrong with socializing. In fact, it's generally a good thing, but it's not efficient. In order to convert socializing into networking, you need to have a three-tiered goal planted in your mind before you even enter the venue where networking will take place.

I call it "goal-based networking," and here's how it works:

Goal #1
"I will get a direct opportunity"
This could be a new client, an invitation to join a prestigious organization, a job offer, a promise to donate money to your pet cause. While Goal #1 is ideal, it unfortunately doesn't happen at most networking events.

Goal #2
"I will get a solid lead on a direct opportunity"
This is almost as good as the first goal, because it moves you closer to what you really want. Goal #2 should happen at the vast majority of networking events you attend. If it doesn't, you're not meeting enough people or not asking the right questions.

Goal #3
"I will meet new people and learn valuable information"
This is the bare-bones minimum goal that you should achieve at every single networking event you attend.

Make a commitment to network more and remember to think about these three goals before walking into your next networking event. Setting these goals consistently over a long period of time will maximize the return from your investments in networking. That means you increase your public profile, connect with the right people and become that person who always seems to know about business happenings long before your colleagues do.

]]> http://marketingsource.com/articles/selling/art-of-selling/why-buyers-love-to-delay-buying.html http://marketingsource.com/articles/selling/art-of-selling/why-buyers-love-to-delay-buying.html Thu, 09 Dec 2010 10:10:19 -0600
Yes, there are times when a buyer legitimately can't make a decision. Many times, though, the delay is nothing more than a tactic on the part of the buyer to get a better deal. This is especially true of professional buyers, who see numerous salespeople on a regular basis. Why should anyone make a decision quickly if they don't have to? More often than not, the buyers believe that by waiting, they will get a better deal. The salesperson will get scared and will think the only way to secure the sale is to offer a discount. Buyers believe this because experience has shown them that it works!

Salespeople by nature are scared. Don't take offense to my observation, because I include myself in this profession as well. We, unfortunately, can view things too quickly in a negative manner. For most salespeople, the way out of a situation like this is to immediately offer the buyer a price reduction. This is exactly what the buyer wants! They are looking for the salesperson to show some fear and some sense that the sale may not happen at all. Once the buyer smells fear, they know a better deal is about to appear.

This is also a key reason why many professional buyers love to ignore phone calls, emails and all other forms of communication from salespeople. Nothing can make a salesperson more scared than a buyer who doesn't communicate with them. If you're a buyer, it's hard to find any activities that can result in a higher return on investment than ignoring a salesperson or holding off on making a decision. These tactics usually result in saving money.

Now let's look at this challenge from a salesperson's perspective. Salespeople love to close sales and they also love to close sales quickly, preferably with as little effort as possible. But effort - particularly mental effort - can make the difference. This is the ability to understand and rationalize objectively what is happening and what is not happening. This means understanding why the buyer does need to buy from you and how what you're selling will allow them to achieve their needs and objectives. The more you can build this kind of objective thinking into your attitude, the better equipped you are to keep negativity at bay. Negative thinking is the culprit that takes the biggest toll on a salesperson's level of success.

As soon as the salesperson begins viewing the situation negatively and how the sale may not occur, it's only natural for them to think the solution is to lower the price or offer something extra in the form of service. When the salesperson does this, two things happen. First, it confirms in the buyer's mind why the smart thing to do is to slow down the decision-making process. Second, it destroys profit margin for the salesperson.

While there are several techniques to counter these outcomes, there really is only one that is foundationally most important - the confidence of the salesperson. If the salesperson is not confident, then every other tactic or strategy is useless and will have little effect. Everything starts with the salesperson.

Confidence begins with the total belief in your own skill set as a salesperson and total belief in your ability to help the buyer fill the needs they have. If you don't believe in both of these, then there is nothing else you can do to prevent the buyer from taking advantage of you by delaying their decision. Buyers, especially professional buyers, can discern very quickly how confident a salesperson is. If they sense the salesperson is not confident, then they'll delay their decision. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain by doing so.

On the other hand, if you as the salesperson are determined to regularly and intentionally strengthen your own resolve and your own confidence, your natural reaction to stalling buyers will not be to cave under the pressure. Your reflex will be to wholeheartedly believe in your product, your price and your potential to help the customer achieve their goals.

Are you going to let fear or confidence determine your future? The choice is yours, so choose wisely. And profitably.

]]> http://marketingsource.com/articles/selling/art-of-selling/what-does-your-customer-really-value.html http://marketingsource.com/articles/selling/art-of-selling/what-does-your-customer-really-value.html Thu, 09 Dec 2010 10:06:55 -0600
We've all heard the rule of listening to what the customer has to say, and there's not a salesperson who thinks they don't listen to the customer. Reality, however, is quite the opposite. I find time after time when I'm working with salespeople across any number of industries that the failure to listen is a huge issue.

Too many salespeople believe because they know the products they represent much better than the client, they know exactly what the customer will see as real value. Yes, you as the agent are going to have a general indication of what a typical customer wants. However, when it comes to interacting with a specific customer, you can't rely on a "general indication" of value.

The only way you are going to know what a customer will place value in is by asking them and getting them to tell you what they're looking for. Sounds simple enough, and yet so many salespeople don't do it.

If you don't believe what I am saying, then let me share about the situation my wife found herself in while buying a car. The car she was looking at was an SUV with all the amenities of what people expect when looking for an SUV (4-wheel drive, ability to handle rugged winter driving, etc). The salesperson continued to press my wife on the value of these features of the SUV. The problem was that my wife wasn't particularly interested in those features. Yes, we wanted an SUV, but my wife -- the primary driver of the vehicle -- was looking for an amazing sound system and heated, comfortable seats.

I can't tell you the number of salespeople who lost the sale because they failed to understand what my wife's value expectations were with regard to the car. We could easily have been sold on an SUV other than the one we bought, had the salesperson listened and put aside their pre-conceived notions of what a "typical buyer" of an SUV might be most interested in.

I share this example so that you can see that it's not just about "understanding" this dynamic; it's about learning from it and changing how you interact with customers. The learning is simple: Listen to what the customer is saying. They will tell you what their needs are when you ask them the right questions. This means not only do you need to ask the right questions, but you also need to hear what the customer is telling you and then ask them a follow-up question on what they just told you. Asking the follow-up question is key, because the vast majority of time, the customer will share with you much better insights when you show interest and involvement in what they're telling you.

Once a person feels the other person is truly listening, it's only natural for the quality of the conversation to become more real and engaging. By asking the follow-up questions, the salesperson will learn what the customer's value expectations are. The salesperson can then finally work to close the sale to the customer's expectations. When that happens, they will do more than just close the sale. There is a significant likelihood the sale will be closed at a higher profit, because the customer sees more value in what they're buying.

]]> http://marketingsource.com/articles/selling/art-of-selling/why-buyers-dont-like-salespeople.html http://marketingsource.com/articles/selling/art-of-selling/why-buyers-dont-like-salespeople.html Fri, 29 Oct 2010 10:48:23 -0500
When I ask salespeople what value they bring to their buyers, I usually get a typical answer that is full of a lot of smoke puffery. When I ask this question of buyers, and in particular professional buyers, I get an entirely different answer. For professional buyers who see a wide variety of salespeople, the value they place on them is usually very minimal. Are you wondering why?

There's one simple reason that can sum it all up: Most salespeople bring to their buyers only information. Interestingly, information is something any buyer can gather from other sources. At the end of the day, you as a salesperson must ask yourself, "Am I merely a conduit of information?" If you are, then you're wasting your time, your company's time, and your customer's time. You might as well just email your buyer the information and then go play golf.

If you can't as a salesperson honestly lay claim to problems you've helped your customers overcome, then you really have to begin questioning the role you play. Yes, I'm being quite harsh, but with the advent of technology and communication, the role of the salesperson has changed. If you as a salesperson have not recognized and embraced this change, then you are nothing more than the walking dead.

Buyers don't want people who bring them nothing more than information. They want solutions. Unfortunately, because buyers often have far too much to do, they don't even know what their problems are or what challenges their company is facing. This is the role the salesperson needs to play -- the role of helping identify the problems, whether blatant or obscure, and turning them into opportunities you can solve for the customer.

So how do you go about identifying problems? You as the salesperson must become an investigator – someone who is determined to find out what really is happening in an organization, industry and global marketplace. Then, you need to show your customer how what you found is impacting them now or will be impacting them in the future.

Start this process by shifting your focus. Instead of just delivering information to your customer, begin to ask more questions. A very simple rule I tell salespeople is for every minute you spend gathering information to share with a customer, you need to spend an equal amount of time developing questions to ask that customer. Don't develop questions for which you already have the answers or could easily find the answers. In fact, those are the wrong type of questions.

Instead, you need to develop questions to which you don't have answers. More than likely, these will be questions to which your buyer doesn't have answers either. By asking these questions, you're helping move the buyer to viewing you differently. Your role is to be seen as the one salesperson who is genuinely committed to helping them move themselves and their company to a higher level. This may be by growing their sales or helping them reduce their costs.

When you can clearly identify ways you've helped your buyer achieve either of these outcomes, then you will know you're no longer the type of salesperson that buyers love to hate. Plus, you'll be growing your bottom line at the same time. And that's a lot better than simply doling out information!


]]> http://marketingsource.com/articles/selling/art-of-selling/intellectual-capital-and-your-sales-career.html http://marketingsource.com/articles/selling/art-of-selling/intellectual-capital-and-your-sales-career.html Tue, 14 Sep 2010 12:59:06 -0500
Let me put it in even simpler terms: Companies fail because people don't think. It's always easier to blame someone else for our problems. It's what most people do, and besides, we all believe we're brilliant. Any set back could not possibly be associated with us; therefore, it has to be somebody else's fault, right?

Now I'm not going to say 100% of all failures are due to a lack of intellectual capital, but I will say the number is probably close to 97%. Let me explain why. Any business is in business to satisfy customer needs. If things work out correctly, they can fill those needs at a value for which customers are willing to pay and at an amount that is more than the company has to spend to prepare the item for sale. It's that simple – nothing complex, nothing behind the magic curtain. Just sell something for more than it costs to make it and you're fine. Well, not quite.

We all know there are numerous other factors that can and do come into play with regard to how a business operates, and it's all of these other circumstances that require the proper use of intellectual capital. The level of intellectual capital in any business is going to vary dramatically. More importantly, how the intellectual capital is ultimately used is going to determine the success or failure of a business.

In my role as a sales consultant, I've watched a great number of people with incredible sums of intellectual capital not being challenged at all to contribute. At the same time, I've watched people who are, for lack of a better phrase, "a few dollars short upstairs," making all of the decisions without any input.

Whenever I work with salespeople or any other business professionals, including CEOs, I love to challenge them with a few simple questions. Here goes:

What did you learn yesterday?

How did you apply today what you learned yesterday?

What do you expect to learn today?

What will you need to change next year to stay ahead?

You get the idea. I love to challenge conventional thinking. Some people say that's not my place as a sales consultant, but I say that is my place. In sales, it's all about fulfilling the needs people or entities may have, but many times these people or entities don't know what their needs are. Worse yet, they don't understand what needs they may have tomorrow. This is my role as a salesperson – to not only help them today, but also to prepare them for tomorrow.

You might be asking how this ties back into the original idea of businesses failing due to a lack of intellectual capital rather than lack of financial capital. It is intricately related because no matter what our role is, it is our job to help those with whom we come in contact to fully use their intellectual capital. This means we need to be fully using our own intellectual capital. And that means we have to ask ourselves the very same questions I listed above.

In my own company, we ask ourselves these questions on a regular basis. We also challenge ourselves to go outside of our comfort zone to seek diverse opinions and ideas.

The opportunities before us have never been greater. I firmly believe due to advances in communication and the global business community, there are more opportunities for businesses (large and small) to grow and thrive. I also believe the financial capital requirements are actually decreasing due to the advances in communication and the ability to grow a business. These changes, however, mean the average business faces far more competition than ever before, and the natural lifecycle of any business is getting shorter. Intellectual capital is even more important today than it was yesterday.

One final thought: Who around you has intellectual capital from which you can learn? What can you do each day to be growing your own intellectual capital? And finally, what is the one breakthrough idea that truly defies gravity that you can work toward implementing in the next six months?

]]> http://marketingsource.com/articles/networking-for-success/driven-to-distraction-how-latest-trends-will-hurt-you.html http://marketingsource.com/articles/networking-for-success/driven-to-distraction-how-latest-trends-will-hurt-you.html Tue, 14 Sep 2010 12:55:13 -0500
We've all done this at one time or another. Sales slow down and suddenly, a new customer appears, a new product comes out or a new sales technique emerges, and you start to think it is the "cure all" for ALL your sales struggles. You begin chasing after the new trend instead of sticking to tried-and-true sales techniques. Ultimately, the only thing that happens when you chase the trend is you waste time and effort on something that ends up de-motivating you.

Our problem begins when we start doubting our current sales strategy, our prospects or some other element in our approach. This opens the door to us becoming distracted. It also makes us more susceptible to being swayed by the new trend or new customer we believe will turn our sales slump into a huge new level. We begin grasping, desperately bouncing around for the "magic" solution that will "fix" our dilemma.

Don't get me wrong - it is good to be open to new ideas and new customers. Obviously, that's part of the sales industry. You have to have discernment though. You have to be able to quickly assess what are valid opportunities worth pursuing and valid techniques worth incorporating.

I have always believed it is far better to slightly alter the course than it is to dramatically change the course altogether. Sales are driven by momentum and awareness from both the salesperson and the customer. When you change course dramatically, you no longer have the ability to leverage the momentum and awareness that you have built with current customers and prospects. Sure, you may see a burst of momentum from the thrill of running in a new direction, but this momentum will be lost quickly if sales don't materialize immediately.

So what does it look like to slightly alter your course? You start to incorporate slight modifications to your selling process. This may include developing new questions to ask prospects, creating a new customer referral program, and/or increasing the number of sales calls you make. All of these changes enhance and build upon what you've already done. In other words, you work with the momentum and awareness you have already created.

There is just no substitute for tweaking well-established sales techniques, rather than scrapping them altogether. And this is true no matter what industry you work in. For example, a real momentum killer is when a salesperson will fail to close a sale because they fail to make that one last follow-up call or visit to the client. To use a football analogy, this is like a team's inability to score from the "red zone" - the last 20 yards on the field just before the end zone.

If a team drives the ball consistently down to the red zone but then fails to score, there has been so much wasted effort. It's no different in sales. Instead of abandoning the sales strategies that get you "down the field" (so that you can jump on some bandwagon of a slick trend), you would be wiser to simply alter your approach slightly so that you will actually score more. If your current sales techniques are getting you down the field, then maybe all you need to do is add a few more follow-up calls and visits in order to incrementally close more sales.

The best recommendation I can make to any salesperson is to stay focused on the opportunities you have at hand and work to enhance your current processes to ultimately close more sales. The more you stay focused on the prospects you have, the less you'll be distracted by the latest trend. Let your competitor fall for the new trend. Let your competitor chase after the fleeting opportunity. When they do this, they leave you with more opportunities to actually make more sales.

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